State media: Libya to ask UN to lift arms embargo

TRIPOLI - Libya will soon ask the UN Security Council to lift an embargo on arms imports to the North African state, the official news agency quoted Prime Minister Ali Zeidan as saying, despite the armed turmoil plaguing the country.

The Security Council imposed the embargo at the start of the 2011 uprising to protect civilians during a conflict that later ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

"I will discuss the question of lifting the embargo when I meet with the head of the UN Security Council in the next few days," LANA news agency quoted Zeidan as saying after a meeting with Libya's defense minister and army chief.

No further details were given. Officials at Zeidan's office and the foreign ministry were unavailable for comment.

LANA quoted army chief of staff Yussef al-Mangoush as saying Libya was planning to rebuild its army and wanted to sign contracts with international consultancies to help carry this out and assess what kind of equipment it needed in the future.